Nashville teacher Gerron Hurt takes the MasterChef victory

A Nashville teacher traded in time in the classroom for the kitchen during his season of MasterChef on the Fox hit series.

Gerron Hurt defeated his competitors in the show’s finale while under the intense watch of Chef Gordon Ramsay.

FOX 17 News traveled to Hurt’s hometown as his family and friends gathered for a watch party Wednesday night.

Judges Gordon Ramsay, Aáron Sanchéz, and Joe Bastianch also took a trip to Hurt’s home. Watch the hometown visit here.

What’s next for Gerron? The producers behind MasterChef and MasterChef Junior announced the expansion of Camp MasterChef in three new locations in summer 2019. The Nashville teacher will join other MasterChef finalists in the culinary camps. Watch the video below for a live interview with Hurt after he won the top spot.